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Thirsty

These cactus don't look thirsty at all. I'll be writing about them when I write my post for the Garden Bloggers' Book Club in a few days. I haven't finished the book that we are reading, but I have enough passalong plants to write about, including these cactus, so I'll probably go that route. I hope you, garden blogger reading this now, will join us with your own post about passalong plants or the book. Send me an email or leave me a comment when you have posted, so I can find you and include you in the book club post on May 31.

Yes, this cactus is hardy here in Zone 5!

These Variegated Sundrops (Evening Primrose of some kind) look very thirsty. Almost dead thirsty.

We've just not gotten enough rain this spring. Only one inch of rain in May so far.

There is a chance of thunderstorms every day throughout the Memorial Day weekend, but you don't win any popularity contests around here wishing for rain on the Biggest Weekend of the Year for Indianapolis. I still want it to rain, and rain a lot, even on Sunday.

I've never had to water in May. Usually after I finish planting the vegetable garden, I just water where I sowed seeds. But tonight after I finished sowing all the seeds in the garden, I decided to run the sprinkler to give it all a good soaking.

It even smells dry outside. You know that smell of "dry", right? Generally, we don't smell this kind of dryness until August. Yes, it smells like August outside, not like May.

If it doesn't rain by Friday morning, I will have to begin to water and I'm not talking about just the lawn, which is already showing signs of going dormant. I am talking about watering trees and shrubs and established flowers. Unheard of in May. Simply unheard of, at least in the 20 or so years that I've had my own gardens.

And yes, I didn't wait to water those sundrops, I took care of them after I took the picture.

Comments

Hi Carol- Dry here in S Ill also. So dry! I water every afternoon for my new plants. I hate to see our water bill for May! I used to have those type cactus. They do wonderful in my zone 6 also. A neighbor gave me a start and I should have taken a few with me when we moved. I need to get back over to her house and ask for another start. She has hundreds under her tree.Cute robins and a great shot! How'd you do that?

We are behind in rain but not what you'd call dry yet. I hope this isn't the start of a bad drought. I noticed when I got "serious" about gardening that I had a whole different attitude about weather. Whatever was good for the plants, that's the weather I wanted.

We didn't even get the inch of rain you got earlier in the month. My hosta leaves are burned on the edges. I started watering last night, and will continue until it rains. I have the prickly pear cactus also, just don't touch them without gloves!

Those robins are so cute. I have a mamma house finch and 5 teeny eggs in one of my bird feeders. She nested in the same spot last year.

I have been watering here for about a month now. The bad thing about California is the fire danger. Last night there was a brush fire that crept up our hill but the CFD put it out before it could get very far. eek.Enjoy the weather.

Carol those robins look so sweet. Its also been very dry here for the past 2 weeks-so much so that the cistern has run out of water-the first time in 5 years living here, and I had to truck in 10,000 gallons, at a cost of $400. I dont want to think of what I have to spend on watering the garden until the rainy season arrives! I actually have been praying for rain LOL and this morning we had a little shower.

I certainly know what you mean, Carol, about never having to water in May ! We're probably going to set a record high temperature of 93 or over degrees today as well. I've been watering for the past week because of my newly planted annuals and veggies.

Happy Memorial Day. Hope it rains at least an inch, then stop so we can cookout.

Drought is the bane of every gardener! It usually happens here in NE in July but we did have a really dry spring a few years ago and the buds on the Rhododendrons dried up. Not fun lugging a hose and worrying about the plants! Let's all do a rain dance for Carol!

We're short on rain here as well and the snow wasn't anything to talk about either. I actually had to water my hostas yesterday, something that doesn't usually happen until August. The lawn can go dormant, I'll save the water for the newer trees and the veggies.

Ugh. It was 90 here yesterday. 90! We're not as dry as you, but not much better. We did have a thunderstorm last Thursday, but for a couple weeks before that it was dry, dry, dry, and now it's looking like it will be dry and hot for a while. Have you noticed that the weather never really seems to cooperate with us gardeners? *sigh*

Carol, we received over an inch of rain last night and yesterday, we needed it badly, so hopefully it will be heading your way! I have the same kind of cactus (prickly pear), the bed keeps getting bigger and bigger, the stickers are wicked.

We're in your boat. It's never popular to wish for rain on Memorial Day, Indy or no, but I'm wishing! I have been watering my newly planted or transplanted things once per week, but otherwise am just keeping my fingers crossed for rain soon.

(By the way, those baby birds are so sweet! I can't believe you were able to get that close and took such a lovely picture!)

You would think the humidity would help a little but it doesn't. Even though it's race weekend, I hope it pours.(I guess that shows just how much I care about the race. But some things are more important) Of course it could rain friday & saturday & then clear up

I broke down and got the sprinkler going yesterday. I had planted some new daylilies and they couldn't take it. Daylilies can usually tolerate anything but, just like the bad witch of the North, the poor things were wilting..... (or is it the South, I always forget)

Carol, I've already apologized to Mary at Mary's View for getting all her rain, so I will apologize to you too! We've had more than our fair share and I don't remember a greener May than this one. We're usually watering right out of the gate, but not this year. Yes, it would be heresy for you to wish for rain on Memorial Day but hey, what's more important here - a race or your plants and lawn? No question in my mind!